Evanston, IL, USA —Giant Screen Films (GSF) and BBC Earth have announced that they will partner with Golden Gate 3D on Cuba (working title), a new large format film about the unique island nation. The film, produced by San Francisco’s Golden Gate 3D, will be distributed globally by GSF. Cuba will be produced in association with BBC Earth, bringing the award-winning natural history filmmaker Neil Nightingale (Walking with Dinosaurs, One Life, Tiny Giants, Wild Africa) on board as Executive Producer. BBC Earth will also support the marketing and promotion of the film. Production is currently underway with a target release in early 2017.

Cuba takes audiences on an electrifying 3D journey through a land of spectacular beauty among a people renowned for their passion. It tells the powerful story of a land preserved in time yet poised today on the cusp of dramatic change. The island nation’s vibrant culture, meticulously maintained colonial architecture and pristine ecosystems all provide a vivid window into the past. Cuba will transport audiences across breathtaking island landscapes, under the ocean surface to dazzling reefs and into streets throbbing with music and dance in the heart of Havana. Through the eyes of Cuban artists, historians and scientists, audiences will have a rare opportunity to explore this amazing country at a unique moment in its history. Filmed for the first time in large format 3D for IMAX® and other giant screen and immersive cinemas, the film will reveal why Cuba continues to stir the imagination of the world.

The Cuba production team includes a veritable who’s who of contemporary giant screen cinema. Director Peter Chang’s cinematography has been featured in Jerusalem, winner of the 2014 Giant Screen Cinema Association award for Best Film and Best Cinematography, and 2016’s National Parks Adventure. Myles Connolly (Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs, Flight of the Butterflies, Wild Africa) will serve as Supervising Producer. Kelyn Brannon of Golden Gate 3D and Jonathan Rowe of Madrone Studios join BBC’s Nightingale as Executive Producers. The film is written by industry veteran Mose Richards (Mysteries of the Unseen World, Sea Monsters, Arctic Tale) and produced in association with BBC Earth, BBC Worldwide’s global factual brand. Giant Screen Films (Journey to Space, The Last Reef, Titans of the Ice Age, Tornado Alley) will co-produce and distribute worldwide.

“We’ve been granted an unprecedented level of access to Cuba, and we are thrilled by the prospect of taking giant screen audiences to a Cuba they have never seen – its culture, art, music, sports and ecology are bursting with compelling stories and mesmerizing beauty,” said Peter Chang, director ofCuba and founder of Golden Gate 3D. “Cuba will be a portrait of this vibrant island at a pivotal point in its history and will bring to life the character and spirit of the land and people as only the giant screen can.”

“There has simply never been a better time to make a film about Cuba,” said Don Kempf, President of Giant Screen Films. “In the past few weeks alone, headlines about US businesses re-engaging with Cuba have dominated the news, and President Obama’s visit scheduled this month will make him the first president to visit Cuban soil in over 80 years. As the US and Cuba open trade relations, audiences are very curious about this once-forbidden neighbor nation. This film will take them there.”

“In many ways, Cuba is a place whose past is still alive today and consequently offers a fascinating cultural and environmental study,” said Neil Nightingale, Executive Producer of Cuba and Creative Director for BBC Earth. “Cuba will weave together stories that capture the essence of Cuba’s people and natural history – a window into the past, as well as the very character of an extraordinary place on earth. We are proud for BBC Earth to be associated with this exciting project.”